The red weevil makes an appearance again in Orihuela Costa, where there are several urbanisations that have seen the appearance of the dreaded insect that destroys palm trees.

Experts say that the red weevil infestation is caused by the lack of pruning and preservation of many of the 7,000 palm trees in the coastal area of ​​Orihuela, now over two years since they last saw any form of maintenance.

The beetle is jumping from tree to tree in streets and in the private plots of the many villas and residential areas of Orihuela Costa.

It is a problem that has put residents on alert, already fed up with the lack of maintenance of the green areas of Orihuela Costa, a contract that expired seven years ago and currently being managed by a contractor with barely any staff and multiple deficiencies.

Residents of some urbanisations, mainly in Cabo Roig where the problem of lack of pruning and the weevil is more pronounced, have collected signatures to deliver to the City Council, demanding that urgent action is taken to remove the palms that hang dry from the palm trees. in the streets, after two years without pruning, and to implement a treatment to stop the weevil plague spreading.

The residents say that it is a “calamitous state” across the Orihuela Costa palm grove, accusing the Orihuela Council of a lack of responsibility for allowing the problem to spread. “While the council boasts of a wonderful palm grove in the town centre, it has completely abandoned its palm trees on the coast allowing them to die,” said one local dweller.

Meanwhile, the Cabo Roig and Lomas de Orihuela Costa Neighbourhood Association, the largest body of residents on the Orihuela coast, has presented a letter to the Council addressed to the councillor of the Costa, Manuel Mestre (Vox), in which it explains the problems from which residents are suffering due to the “regrettable state” of the palm trees, “with streets full of fruit, due to lack of pruning, which makes the pavements impassable and forces people to walk on the road, as well as the many abandoned gardens”.

The same complaint was made by the residents on 16 October last year, without the council having taken any action so far, so at the moment, no one is holding out too much hope!